Jack Taylor, Michael De Iacovo crack centuries in Victorian Super Slam

Kingston Hawthorn’s guest player Jack Taylor and St Kilda dasher Michael De Iacovo take the spotlight in the first round of the Twenty20 competition.

Jack Taylor after his sparkling century against Ringwood.

Gloucestershire one-day captain Jack Taylor is a marquee player for Kingston Hawthorn in the Victorian Super Slam this season.

The Hawks would love him playing every week.

The right-hander hit a spectacular century last night as Kingston Hawthorn started the Slam with an emphatic victory over Ringwood at Jubilee Park.

Taylor was on 87 after the 19th over.

By the final ball he was on 97. And he pulled it to the fence to walk off unbeaten on 101, off 49 deliveries and with 12 fours and 4 sixes.

It lifted the Hawks to 3-194 and they kept Ringwood to 7-163.

The Rams briefly threatened when Ian Holland sped to 50 off 30 balls. At that stage they were 4-110 off 12 overs. But when Holland was out for 51 the target seemed further away.

The loss of Joe Loorham, bowled by Sacheen Paramesh for a duck, and Josh Hartill, knocked over by Jade Christensen for 10, put Ringwood on the back foot at the start of its chase.

Christensen took 2-28 off his four overs.

But it was Taylor’s match.

The scorecard showing Jack Taylor’s century.

The County player had a stint with Kingston Hawthorn a few years ago, and during it hit a century against Melbourne that former Australian opener Julien Wiener said was one of the best he had seen in District/Premier Cricket.

He’s playing in the Eastern Cricket Association this season.

Taylor made one on Saturday. Three days later he made 101 not out, an innings that sparkled with long hitting down the ground and a few delicate dabs to third man.

Taylor and Nivin Sathyajith (36 off 34) put on 107 for the third wicket, and Taylor then combined with the busy Abhi Jain (29 off 19) to take Kingston Hawthorn to the shadows of 200.

The Rams selected 15-year-old leg-spinner Vishaw Ramkumar for the Super Slam and his three overs went for 35.

Ringwood youngster Vishaw Ramkumar with skipper David King.

But he displayed a good action and composure as he faced a formidable and far more experienced opponent in Taylor.

St Kilda also had a centurymaker, with the punishing Michael De Iacovo batting through for 105 not out against Northcote.

The right-hander faced only 66 balls, cleared the boundary six times and hit 10 fours.

His opening partner, 16-year-old Harry Dixon, zipped to 53 off 31, and their stand was worth 120.

The Saints finished with 4-208.

Dixon was coming off a century in the Second XI and is regarded as one of the best young batting prospects in the state.

In the reply Northcote was all out for 134 in the 19th over, with young paceman Jackson Noske (3-19) and Jayden Banks (2-24) in the wickets.

St Kilda captain Adam Crosthwaite said De Iacovo was outstanding.

“He put them to the sword early. We were 100 off 10 or something. It was pretty brutal, to be honest,’’ he said.

“He’s one of the most damaging hitters in the comp, I would have thought.’’

Crosthwaite said Dixon was a tremendous prospect.

“That was his first game in First Grade and he got 50 off 30 against a good side.

“He looked outstanding. He’s definitely an exciting one for the future. He played beautifully, looked like he belonged.’’

There was controversy at the Albert Ground, when scores were adjusted after play and the result was given to Fitzroy-Doncaster over Melbourne.

The Lions finished at 7-134 in reply to 8-136.

But the game finished at 8.22pm and the visitors’ total was lifted to 7-140.

Cricket Victoria competitions manager Darren Anderson said allowances had been made for Melbourne, but the rules called for a six-run penalty.

One ball was lost in bushes and had to be replaced, and Lions opener Liam Banthorpe was out in the final over for obstructing the field.

“Those things are taken into account when working through whether a team is going at the over rate, and once all those allowances were added up they (Melbourne) still finished outside the required time,’’ Anderson said.

“The game finished at 8.22pm and it needed to finish by 8.16pm. For every over you’re outside the acceptable allowance a six-run penalty gets awarded to the opposition.’’

Melbourne coach Ben Vague said he was bemused by the ruling but the club would accept it.

SCORES

Greenvale Kangaroos 9/117 (cc) JT Potticary 26 N Woods 3/22 EC O’Sullivan 2/22 def by Carlton 2/189 (cc) C Rutland 67 NJ Ross 46* TJ Smyth 36* J Lemire 30 at Greenvale Reserve #1

Frankston Peninsula 3/118 BJ Symons 39 J Nanopoulos 37 AG Kodoth 28* def Dandenong 6/113 (cc) BS Forsyth 56 DI Malik 32 J Nanopoulos 3/27 at J Coburn Oval

Melbourne 8/136 (cc) JW Harper 73 E Alavi 2/23 C Simondson 2/35 lost to Fitzroy Doncaster 7/140 (cc) L Banthorpe 70 E Alavi 40 DE Munro 3/31 at Albert Ground

St Kilda 4/208 (cc) MF De Iacovo 105* HT Dixon 53 JR Koduru 3/36 def Northcote 134 M O’Sullivan 27 JW Noske 3/19 JA Merlo 2/16 J Banks 2/24 at Harry Trott Oval

Casey-South Melbourne 136 MT Wallace 39 BP Erasmus 31 S Mills 3/23 BA Rose 2/25 def by Richmond 5/153 (cc) K Viccars 53 ZO Sleeman 40 HA Kannan 2/12 N Lambden 2/32 at Casey Fields No. 4

Geelong 4/143 (cc) L Blackford 50 JJ McDonald 45 MC Birthisel 2/34d ef by Footscray 7/144 TJ Dean 90* DJ Brasher 27 D Mehta 2/15 at Geelong Cricket Ground

Ringwood 7/163 IG Holland 51 TJ Wynne 31* J Christensen 2/28 SR Paramesh 2/40 def by Kingston Hawthorn 3/194 (cc) JW Taylor 101* N Sathyajith 36 A Jain 29* at Russell Lucas Oval

Melbourne University 8/134 (cc) NW Ritchie 48* DB Hutton 25 LP Bowe 3/33 def Essendon10/121 (cc) I Willett 33 L Molloy 28 F Ahmed 4/26 M Domann 2/21 at University Main Oval

Prahran 5/152 (cc) J Billington 52 ND Blaich 36 S Garber 32* DP Redhu 2/22 OJ Jenkins 2/37 def Camberwell Magpies102 S Bhargave 41 A Pawha 25 S Garber 3/12 N Munasinghe 2/16 at Toorak Park